2024-02-17 00:34:55
This is a technique that will be available not only to Bulgaria, but will also have the capacity to help neighboring countries, assured Eco Minister Julian Popov
The Main Directorate “Fire Safety and Protection of the Population” at the Ministry of Interior will have 385 new specialized vehicles for fire-fighting and operational activities – light, medium and heavy class – to deal with forest fires.
This will be a fact thanks to a project won by them under the Operational Program “Environment” 2021-2027 at the Ministry of Environment and Water.
The grant is in the amount of just over BGN 169 million. And the contract between Eco-Minister Julian Popov and internal Kalin Stoyanov was signed at a ceremony in Popov’s office today.
The Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will also be partners of the Fire Directorate.
The objectives of the project are to improve the capacity for forest fire prevention and response in the event of fires, by providing specialized machinery and equipment, as well as by creating a methodological framework for preparing the population to respond to forest fires.
In addition to the specialized 385 vehicles, 67 mobile fire extinguishing systems, 6,000 pieces of personal protective equipment and additional equipment will be delivered, 26,860 people from all over the country will be prepared how to respond to a fire after passing training, etc.
The implementation of the project will be within 60 months.
“This is a project that ensures the improvement of the capacity to prevent forest fires and react in case of other fires by providing specialized technical means“, explained the Minister of Environment and Water, Julian Popov.
According to him, it was about a very serious equipment that will enable Bulgaria to deal with the serious problem of forest fires.
“Tthis is a technique that will be available not only to Bulgaria, but will also have the capacity to help neighboring countries and be the basis of a serious center or development of international capacity for disaster and emergency response“, he also said.
“It is good to know that it is a project that aims to increase the technical security and capacity of the structures of the General Directorate “Fire Safety”, as well as the preparation of the population for responding to forest fires“, Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov also pointed out.
Galina Simeonova, Chief Director of the Directorate General “Operational Program Environment” read a congratulatory letter from the European Commission and thanked the Directorate “Fire Safety” for the successful partnership.
“We believe that what we are doing will be a foundation and a good future for at least 20 years to come and the news we hear about forest fires will become shorter and more positive“, Simeonova wished to herself.
Alexander Jartov, chief commissioner of the fire department thanked for the opportunity to provide better equipment and equipment to his employees and explained that at the moment the public procurement for the equipment under the project has been announced and is at the evaluation stage.
“We hope that this stage will be completed by the end of April, but let’s not forget that the procedure itself is very complicatedhe added.